Gallery: Hot Rod Power Tour Day 3 Drive, Joliet to Fort Wayne

Hot Rod Power Tour routes often divert participants off the main freeway and get them onto smaller two-lane highways. That kind of route means better scenery for the participants, with ample opportunities to stop for snacks or fuel. Just as important, it provides plenty of places for spectators to set up some chairs for an hours-long parade of hot rods, muscle cars, vintage 4x4s, and modern performance machines. The second leg of this year’s Power Tour put us on 180 miles of roads that took us through beautiful towns and farmland in eastern Illinois and northern Indiana, with just enough four-lane highway to open things up and let the vehicles stretch their legs.

More than a few cars on Power Tour were stocked with dozens of Hot Wheels cars for this stretch of the drive. Many lucky kids watching the procession were gifted one of the 1:64 scale toys as it was tossed from a passing car, and we found a few kids who had amassed an impressive selection. We visited a local big-box retail store after arriving in Fort Wayne to find the toy section was completely barren of single-pack Hot Wheels, so it looks like Thursday’s route will be another great place for spectators to score some designer die-casts.

Here’s just a sample of some of the sights along Power Tour 2025’s route from Joliet, Illinois, to Fort Wayne, Indiana.